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BuckMagic wrote:Is he looking like a candidate for next year's rotation?

Yes, but we would be a better team if there were five SPs better than him.

He has been a nice surprise but I don't see him as much better than a #4 on a good team. Matusz and Arrieta have a MUCH higher upside than Gonzalez if they remove their craniums from close proximity to their rectal orifices and start trusting their stuff. Britton can't be fairly evaluated until he's completely healthy again.

It's all with his head, although he does have some nice action on his 92 mph fastball. I probably wouldn't say he is THIS good, but he could turn out to be a decent backend guy or a decent guy out of the pen. He was a good signing.

I really believe he can, he's showed that he can perform at the big league level against some top tier offenses. He really needs to limit the homerun ball along with pitching well at home too. His splits on the road vs at home are just outstandingly different.

I'd try and say more but considering it's 1am I'd most likely say something that just isn't true or from a different pitcher.

Jordan Tuwiner wrote:He's pitched really well. When he commands his arsenal he is pretty effective but just looking at some of the stats he has been pretty lucky.

.254 BABIP, 85.9 LOB%, 5.39 FIP.

His HR/FB% is probably also not going to remain at 13.8%, but his GB% isn't stellar either.

I do think his control is a bit better than he has shown so far. When it's all said and done I think he is a nice #5/spot starter/swing man.

Certainly a nice find.

In reference to his stats it should be noted that there have been multiple games where he has simply tired out as his pitch count climbed over 100 (against the Yankees he gave up the back to back home runs after shutting them down). This can be attributed to his role as a reliever for most of the season.

I think the jury is still out on his long term future in MLB. I want to see what he does in his second and third turn through the AL before I'm ready to hand him a rotation spot next year. Right now I see only Hammel and Chen as definites for '13. We need to sign a free agent veteran and then see if some remnants of the The Cavalry can stick before we pencil in Gonzalez next year.

It should also be noted that, IIRC, Showalter saw him the first time he came up and liked his potential as a starter, though others might have thought the same. MGII in the rotation is partly a BS project.

It should also be noted that he worked with Peterson in the minor leagues, and Peterson not long ago cited Tillman and Gonzalez as two people who really bought into the program.

He got crushed by TB the last time out so he must have made adjustments and that is very encouraging. You have to love that he battles too. Walk and HR totals have to come down if he's going to have long term success.

Rising O's wrote:He got crushed by TB the last time out so he must have made adjustments and that is very encouraging. You have to love that he battles too. Walk and HR totals have to come down if he's going to have long term success.